The Torch
Illuminating Security and Defence Issues
USA
Where Are U.S. Military Forces Deployed in Europe?
11 May, 2026
Transatlantic tensions and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran have prompted the United States to decrease its troop presence in Europe, signaling a shift in security on the continent....
How Chinese, Russian Arctic ambitions are fueling a U.S. polar icebreaker mission
8 April, 2026
The once-impenetrable Arctic waters have become the latest battleground for sea dominance among military and maritime vessels, as increased activity by both the Chinese and Russian Coast Guard and naval ships in recent months has raised concern in the U.S....
Protracted Great-Power War: A Preliminary Assessment
10 March, 2026
This study provides preliminary observations and insights on the character and conduct of protracted great-power war.1 It finds the U.S. Department of Defense is giving insufficient attention to preparing for such wars. While the probability of an extended great-power war may be low, the costs involved in waging one would likely be extraordinarily high, making it an issue of strategic significance for senior Defense Department leaders....
National Defense Strategy Prioritizes the Western Hemisphere, Shifts Burden-Sharing to Allies
2 February, 2026
The Pentagon has released a new National Defense Strategy (NDS) that represents a shift in Washington’s strategic posture, placing renewed emphasis on homeland defense, bolstering U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere, rebalancing security responsibilities for allies and partners, and rebuilding the domestic defense industrial base....
Texas National Security Review
How a US “Suez Moment” Could Hollow the US Alliance System
4 January, 2026
This article contends that while the United States still fields potent military capabilities, the narrowing military balance with China means that a future Indo-Pacific clash in which Beijing gains a regional edge is no longer implausible. Using the 1956 Suez Crisis as an analogue, the study asks how a public exposure of US capability shortfalls—an American “Suez moment”—would reverberate through Washington’s global alliance network. The article employs a five-factor theory of defense cooperation—covering three structural and two situational factors—to evaluate two post-setback scenarios. ...
National Security Strategy of the United States of America -November 2025
13 December, 2025
To ensure that America remains the world’s strongest, richest, most powerful, and most successful country for decades to come, our country needs a coherent, focused strategy for how we interact with the world. And to get that right, all Americans need to know what, exactly, it is we are trying to do and why....
Time to Accept Risk in Defense Acquisitions
12 November, 2025
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched enterprising Pentagon reforms that prioritize speed in acquiring new military capabilities, but this ambitious proposal is at risk of running into the same bureaucratic obstacles that have plagued past efforts.
The US Badly Needs Rare Minerals and Fresh Water. Guess Who Has Them?
13 October, 2025
As China tightens its grip on critical resources, Trump eyes Canada’s riches
Inflection Point: How to Reverse the Erosion of U.S. and Allied Military Power and Influence
5 September, 2025
The U.S. defense strategy and posture have become insolvent. The tasks that the nation expects its military forces and other elements of national power to do internationally exceed the means that are available to accomplish those tasks. Sustained, coordinated efforts by the United States and its allies are necessary to deter and defeat modern threats, including Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and reconstituted forces and China's economic takeoff and concomitant military modernization. This report offers ideas on how to address shortcomings in defense preparations.
US moves decisively to avoid dependence on China’s rare earths
27 July 2025 -
The Pentagon’s package of support for rare earths company MP Minerals, announced on 10 July, should free the US military and eventually much of US industry from dependence on Chinese supply chains for rare earth magnets.